The Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition promises to deliver solid build quality and powerful sound within a sleek, compact format. The manufacturer advertises a battery life that's 20% longer than its predecessor, the Bose SoundLink Mini II, and it features voice assistant support. However, you'll have to rely on your mobile device for this. Unlike the Bose SoundLink Color II, this version omits companion app compatibility, so you have to input all controls using the buttons on the top panel.
Our Verdict
The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is okay for listening to music, thanks to its relatively balanced default sound profile. Like other small speakers, it lacks low-bass, but in this case, it has a punchy high-bass response that still works well for genres like EDM and hip-hop. The mid-range is fairly neutral and adds plenty of detail to voices and lead instruments, supplemented by a bright treble response that brings out upper harmonics. While it's able to play audio in stereo, without downmixing to mono, its directivity is sub-par so audio won't sound consistent across all listening angles. It also gets quite loud, but some compression artifacts are present at max volume.
- Balanced default sound profile.
- Gets pretty loud.
- Poor directivity.
- No graphic EQ or presets.
The Bose SoundLink Mini is disappointing for videos and movies, though it's not intended for this purpose. While its lack of low-bass rumble takes some of the excitement away from cinematic sequences, the detailed mids and highs mean that dialogue has plenty of detail and clarity. However, its narrow soundstage and sub-par directivity mean you'll struggle to get consistent sound from all angles. Its Bluetooth latency with Android and iOS devices is also high enough to experience sync issues between the audio and video when watching video content on a paired device.
- Balanced default sound profile.
- Poor directivity.
- No graphic EQ or presets.
The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is decent for podcasts. It has a balanced mid-range response that reproduces vocals and speech with detail and clarity. It's also portable enough to carry around the house if you want to take your favorite podcasts on the move. However, it has poor directivity, so you'll need to ensure you're positioned in front of the speaker to ensure consistent sound. While it's loud enough for you to listen to a podcast in your kitchen, it's still unable to fill a large room with sound.
- Balanced default sound profile.
- Gets pretty loud.
- Poor directivity.
- No graphic EQ or presets.
The Bose SoundLink Mini doesn't have built-in voice assistant support. However, you can pair it with a voice assistant-enabled smartphone to use the assistant through your device. While it isn't compatible with Alexa, it does a great job of picking up your voice from across the room when using Siri or Google Assistant.
- Gets pretty loud.
- No built-in voice assistants.
- No Alexa compatibility.
The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is alright for outdoor use. It's small and portable enough to take with you for hikes or camping trips. Although it has a sturdy build quality, it doesn't have a rating against dust or water damage, so you'll want to be careful with it near bodies of water or rain. While it has a reasonably long continuous battery life, it won't get you through a full-day hike without needing to recharge.
- Balanced default sound profile.
- Gets pretty loud.
- Compact and portable design.
- No rating against dust or water damage.
- Poor directivity.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 12, 2024: We've added a comparison between this speaker and the Bose SoundLink Max in Dynamics.
- Updated Feb 02, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Jan 29, 2024: Early access published.
- Updated Jan 23, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition is the latest iteration of the SoundLink Mini series of portable, wireless speakers. It comes in two color variants: 'Triple Black' and 'Luxe Silver', We tested the 'Triple Black' variant, but we expect other colors to perform similarly. You can see our unit's label here.
If you encounter a variant not listed here, let us know in the forums so we can update our review.
Popular Speaker Comparisons
The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 SE is the next generation of the Bose SoundLink Mini II. While its advertised battery life has increased by 20%, and it now features a USB-C charging port, it lacks the previous generation's ability to adjust settings using the Bose Connect app. It has a more balanced sound than the Bose SoundLink Color II but lacks the IPX4 rating for water resistance. The manufacturer also produces the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, which offers a more rugged build quality and better directivity in a slightly heavier format. Sadly, this speaker lacks the kind of room correction features seen in premium smart speakers at this price point, like the Sonos Roam/Roam SL's TruePlay function.
See also our recommendations for the best Bluetooth speakers, the best Bose speakers, and the best small Bluetooth speakers.
The Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition and the Bose SoundLink Color II have similar strengths, with only slight differences. They're both portable speakers that are similarly well-built. The SoundLink Mini has a more balanced default sound profile, with a less veiled treble response that adds a nice high-end sparkle to vocals and lead instruments. However, the SoundLink Color has a longer continuous battery life, better sound directivity, and an IPx4 rating for protection against water splashes.
The JBL Charge 5 is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition. While the JBL has a more narrow soundstage and downmixes stereo content to mono, its battery life is twice as long, and it has a more rugged build quality, including an IPx7 rating for submersion in water. It also has companion app compatibility and can be linked to other JBL speakers via the PartyBoost function. That said, unlike the Bose, it lacks any voice assistant integration.
The Sonos Roam/Roam SL and the Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition are similar speakers with slightly different strengths. Both are very portable and have similar default sound profiles, although you can adjust the bass and treble levels on the Sonos via the companion app. The Sonos is also better built, and its Roam variant features built-in Alexa and Google Assistant integration. The Bose has a longer continuous battery life, supports multi-device pairing, and can get a little louder with less compression at max volume.
The Bose SoundLink Flex is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition. Both speakers are highly portable and have similarly balanced sound profiles that lack low-bass but feature detailed and accurate mids. They even have very similar continuous battery life performances. However, the SoundLink Flex has a better build quality and is rated IP67 for submersion in water. It also has companion app compatibility, which lets you pair it up with other Bose speakers.
Test Results
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